Boris Johnson earns £157,372 a year – but apparently can’t afford to pay for his own nanny

Boris Johnson has found himself at the eye of yet another funding storm following reports that Tory donors were asked to foot the bill for his personal trainer and a nanny.

The Prime Minister earns a more-than-comfortable salary of £157,372 a year, yet he has told friends that he needs to earn about £300,000 to keep his head above water, according to The Sunday Times.

A source told the paper that it was “received wisdom” that the PM is permanently broke.

Following rumours that the lavish renovations of his Downing Street flat were settled by a Tory donor, it has now emerged that Johnson may have asked other financial backers to fund his childcare and weightloss drive, too.

The Sunday Times claims that one unidentified Tory MP, received a complaint from a party supporter who had been encouraged to pay for a nanny for Johnson’s one-year-old son, Wilfred.

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The would-be donor reportedly responded to the alleged request, saying: “I don’t mind paying for leaflets but I resent being asked to  pay to literally wipe the Prime Minister’s baby’s bottom.”

The latest twist in Number 10’s financial saga has provoked a fresh backlash online, with social media users saying donations should be put towards those in need, rather than placed in the PM’s pocket:

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has since dismissed the allegations as “tittle-tattle” but admitted he had “no idea” if a Conservative donor was asked to pay for Johnson’s childcare.

He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “I have no idea, you don’t have conversations like that with the PM. I can’t comment on every little bit of gossip that’s in the newspapers.

“The last thing you asked me about I think is an example of tittle-tattle.”

Elsewhere, a No10 spokeswoman refuted the claims, insisting: “The Prime Minister has covered the cost of all childcare.”

However, she did not respond when asked if Johnson had footed the original bill himself or reimbursed someone else.

The latest revelations come just days after the Electoral Commission announced it would be investigating the refurbishment of Johnson’s Downing Street flat, saying that there were “reasonable grounds to suspect” an offence may have been committed.

The Prime Minister’s former aide Dominic Cummings alleged in a blog post last week that there were “plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation” – a proposal which the former Vote Leave campaigner said were “unethical, foolish [and] possibly illegal”.

Johnson has denied breaking any laws over the refurbishment of his No 11 residence and insisted he had paid “personally” for the works.

But he has refused to say whether he received an initial loan from the Conservative Party, as Downing Street launched two separate reviews into the controversy.

The saga continues...